The intermodal transport market in Poland
Intermodal transport, as a technologically efficient, eco-friendly, and effective form of moving cargo units, fosters the creation of not only the foundations of interoperability—mainly within railway transport systems—but also widely perceived co-modality in transport.
For this reason, as part of the EU’s sustainable transport development policy pursued for over 22 years, this form of transport is strongly promoted. This was manifested by the establishment of the special PACT support program as early as 1997 for operators and carriers developing combined transport (a narrower category of intermodal transport adapted to EU strategy), followed by the Marco Polo I and II programs.
The European Commission (EC) optimistically estimates that 1 euro spent from the MP II program on newly launched intermodal projects generates an average effect of 6 euros (reduction of external costs plus a number of other indirect benefits). The scale of expected benefits, both direct and indirect, from the development of combined transport means that the EC also allows for the possibility of financial aid provided by member states for projects supporting the development of this form of transport, and many countries are launching such public aid funds for carriers and operators active in this transport segment. As a result, the share of intermodal transport in total rail freight is significantly higher there than in countries that do not use this form of aid.
Poland belongs to the latter group of countries, and the consequences are visible both in the material and technical sphere of intermodal transport and in the structure of the combined transport market. As a country with one of the largest railway markets in Europe, which accounts for over 1/8 of the EU railway market in terms of transport performance, while simultaneously ranking second in terms of freight volume and the number of licensed railway carriers, Poland ranks only seventh in the EU intermodal transport market in terms of transport performance. Despite the fact that between 2007 and 2012, the transport performance achieved by carriers offering intermodal services grew by an average of 13.1% annually, Poland’s share in the EU intermodal transport market in terms of transport performance units was only 3.29% in 2012. We are surpassed not only by countries such as France and Germany, with shares of 11.3% and 48% in this market respectively, but also by Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, and Sweden. It is also a significant fact that while in countries with the highest level of container transport development, they account for 30-40% of the total rail freight market, in Poland in 2012, their share did not even exceed 7% when measured in transport performance units.
Source: Logistyka Magazine